PUBLIC RELEASE SOURCE REVIEW ยท INDEPENDENT ANALYTIC CASE FILE
CASE FILE 53 / 237UAP00362

237UAP00362

Radar/correlation-focused public UAP report; score 54

NORMAL-OBJECT FAVORED
Report No.UAP-OM-53-237UAP00362DispositionNORMAL-OBJECT FAVORED
Primary Case237UAP00362Generated2026-05-20 18:32 UTC
Report Time2024-03-03T10:00:00+00:00Observer41.88899, -104.57831
Source Case IDs237UAP00362

Abstract

This case file evaluates a reported UAP sighting against the available orbital-object layer. No compact same-launch group fully identifies the file by itself. The final disposition is assigned under a normal-object favored standard, where ordinary aerospace/orbital explanations are preferred when they reasonably fit the report.

This is a standalone independent analysis prepared from public-source records and public orbital datasets. It is not an official government determination, classification marking, or agency-authored report.

1. Executive Summary

237UAP00362 is assessed as normal-object favored because the available public evidence gives a case-specific ordinary-object candidate: strong ADS-B aircraft candidate N973AK B39M ad8ed4 at 27.8 km, azimuth 15.6 deg, elevation 18.66 deg, 0.94 min from report. Dense satellite presence alone is not treated as causation in this packet.

1.1 Key Findings

1.2 Bottom Line

NORMAL-OBJECT FAVORED: A case-specific ordinary-object candidate exists from source language, orbital geometry, launch-object context, or compact trajectory grouping. Dense ordinary sky traffic alone is not treated as causation.

2. Source Control

The source-control table identifies the public report records reviewed for this case and lists public access links where available. The table is included so this PDF remains interpretable when distributed by itself.

Case IDReport Date FieldFacility / TitleText ExtractPublic PDF Link
237UAP0036210:00 03/03/2024 Callsign: BOX473 Origin: LAXZDV Operator: BOX Operator Type: Commercialtext extract present237UAP00362.pdf

3. Original Report Evidence

Primary excerpt used for matchingAircraft reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon 12 to 1 O' Clock while NE bound at FL350, 49NM W of BFF. The unknown phenomenon was 2-3 bright white lights, possibly more, moving in several directions; up and down, left and right. The UAP was not observed on ATC facility radar system.
Report time used2024-03-03T10:00:00+00:00
Observer coordinate used41.88899, -104.57831
Observer source basisaviation_offset:49NM W of BFF (public text extract 237UAP00362)

4. Methodology

  1. Spacetime extraction. The report time and observer coordinate were extracted from the public text report and normalized to UTC. Aviation fixes/radials were resolved during earlier preprocessing where applicable.
  2. External object dataset. The object layer used historical Space-Track/TLE-derived public LEO catalog objects element rows. The analytic mode for this case is historical public LEO catalog objects element propagation and same-launch/designator sky grouping.
  3. Propagation. Orbital elements were propagated to the report minute and observer location. For launch-object checks, samples around the report minute were retained. For Starlink group checks, objects above the horizon were clustered by sky position and filtered for same-launch groupings.
  4. Comparison. The output was compared against the report's count of lights, direction cue, motion language, altitude/radar language, and whether the file itself already suggested a satellite explanation.
  5. Causation standard. Mere object presence above the horizon is treated as background context only. A normal-object disposition requires a case-specific causal fit, such as a named launch object, a compact same-launch trajectory group, or source language that directly supports that object class.
  6. Disposition assignment. Identified means a specific normal object fits the report spacetime and the hard reported features do not materially conflict. Normal-object favored means a case-specific ordinary aerospace/orbital candidate exists, but it is not a full named identification. Insufficient means the file is too thin to carry high anomaly value. High-value unresolved is used when radar, video, rapid maneuver, or multi-witness features remain after reasonable normal-object checks.

5. External Object Evidence

5.1 Search Volume and Density

This table is a screening layer only. Objects above the horizon show background opportunity; they do not establish causation unless a specific object or compact trajectory group matches the reported behavior.

public LEO catalog objects catalog IDs considered20128Historical element rows20128
Above horizon at report minute1066At/above 10 deg534
Largest same-sky cluster534

No compact same-launch/designator group survived the report threshold. In this condition, satellite density remains context only and cannot by itself resolve a report with hard features.

5.2 Same-Launch / Same-Designator Candidate Groups

#Launch DateCountAzimuth SpanElevation SpanMotion LabelsMembers
No same-launch group identified.

5.3 Primary Group Members

ObjectNORADLaunchAzElRange kmApparent MotionElement Age h
No members available.

5.4 Bright-Sky Context: Top public LEO catalog objects Objects by Elevation

ObjectAzElRange kmApparent MotionLaunch Date
NORAD 29287198.8186.151671.06eastward, setting81120R
NORAD 7559249.1882.751432.45eastward, setting73088E
NORAD 3873736.7880.681320.24eastward, setting12041E
NORAD 42115309.9276.53951.99eastward, setting81053QB
NORAD 57618346.6576.16578.27eastward, setting23119S
NORAD 57087249.9875.78579.15westward, setting23088AR
NORAD 4914189.0674.971037.35eastward, setting70025FL
NORAD 5691841.1674.96581.31eastward, setting23083AU
NORAD 1058765.0574.311520.32eastward, setting78005E
NORAD 2845558.7573.55805.51eastward, setting02056G
NORAD 7439358.3371.681537.55eastward, rising74072E
NORAD 2772884.5571.581706.65westward, setting76077FT

5.5 Largest Sky Clusters

#CountAzimuth SpanElevation SpanMotion Labels
15340.16-358.79 deg10.02-86.15 degeastward, level, eastward, rising, eastward, setting, nearly fixed azimuth, setting, westward, level, westward, rising, westward, setting

5.6 Space-Track SATCAT Enrichment

Space-Track SATCAT metadata was pulled as a cached subset for NORAD catalog IDs appearing in this packet's evidence tables. This section adds owner/type/status context to the propagated object candidates.

Packet SATCAT subset rows5370Fetched2026-05-19T01:19:50+00:00
This case NORAD IDs checked30SATCAT rows matched30
Top ownersCIS: 12, US: 11, PRC: 3, UK: 3, JPN: 1
Object typesPAYLOAD: 17, DEBRIS: 12, ROCKET BODY: 1

5.7 Space-Track Metadata for Top Propagated Objects

NORADObject NameTypeOwnerLaunch DateDecay Date
29287SL-8 DEBDEBRISCIS1981-12-17n/a
7559OPS 6630 DEBDEBRISUS1973-11-10n/a
38737BREEZE-KM R/BROCKET BODYCIS2012-07-28n/a
42115COSMOS 1275 DEBDEBRISCIS1981-06-04n/a
57618STARLINK-30249PAYLOADUS2023-08-11n/a
57087STARLINK-6251PAYLOADUS2023-06-22n/a
4914THORAD AGENA D DEBDEBRISUS1970-04-08n/a
56918STARLINK-5951PAYLOADUS2023-06-12n/a
10587COSMOS 980PAYLOADCIS1978-01-10n/a
28455RITE TARGET 2PAYLOADJPN2002-12-14n/a
7439COSMOS 681PAYLOADCIS1974-09-19n/a
27728DELTA 1 DEBDEBRISUS1976-07-29n/a

5.9 NASA / NOAA / ADS-B Expansion Layer

This source layer adds free NASA context that was previously missing from most packet cases. It is contextual evidence; it does not replace aircraft, satellite, balloon, or radar causation tests.

Hour UTC2024030310
Cloud amount99.45%
Precipitation0.0 mm/hr
10 m wind10.63 m/s
Temperature2.12 C
Relative humidity26.46%
DONKI +/-1 dayCME: unavailable; FLR: unavailable; GST: unavailable; HSS: unavailable; IPS: unavailable; MPC: unavailable; RBE: unavailable; SEP: unavailable; WSAEnlilSimulations: unavailable

5.10 Horizons Sky Geometry Context

ObjectAzElApp Mag
Sun58.93-38.45-26.76
Moon142.8010.99-10.21
Venus85.38-28.99-3.89
Mars90.00-26.661.28
Jupiter345.63-32.45-2.17
Saturn63.36-38.990.97

5.11 Free Source Availability and Remaining Work

LayerStatusCase-Specific Note
ADSB.lol historical release listingscreened/presentplanes-readsb-staging-0 1567.0 MiB; planes-readsb-prod-0 1568.0 MiB
ADSB tracks downloadednot yet exhaustedRequires targeted extraction from large daily history archives before claiming aircraft exhaustion.
NOAA GOES imagerynot yet exhaustedNeeded for cloud/lightning visual context.
NOAA GOES ABI/GLM manifestscreened/presentPublic S3 object availability for the report hour.
NOAA NEXRAD weather radarnot yet exhaustedWeather radar only; not ATC radar.
NOAA IGRA radiosondescreened/presentNeeded for balloon drift plausibility.
ASOS/METAR weather observationsscreened/presentNearest station surface observations around report time.

5.12 Weather, Imagery, and Balloon Query Plan

This plan identifies the concrete free sources needed for the next case-specific weather and balloon checks. These are not treated as completed exclusions until the data are downloaded and plotted.

GOES satelliteGOES16
GOES ABI prefixhttps://noaa-goes16.s3.amazonaws.com/ABI-L2-CMIPF/2024/063/10/
GOES GLM lightning prefixhttps://noaa-goes16.s3.amazonaws.com/GLM-L2-LCFA/2024/063/10/

5.13 Nearest Weather-Airport Candidates

StationNameDistance kmCoordinate
KBFFWestern Neb. Rgnl/William B. Heilig Airport81.3041.87, -103.60
KCYSCheyenne Regional Jerry Olson Field83.8041.16, -104.81
KLARLaramie Regional Airport111.5041.31, -105.68
KAIAAlliance Municipal Airport147.8042.05, -102.80
KSNYSidney Municipal Airport Lloyd W Carr Field159.0041.10, -102.99

5.14 Nearest Radiosonde Stations

StationNameDistance kmCoordinate
USM00072662RAPID CITY WFO; SD.267.1044.07, -103.21
USM00072562NORTH PLATTE/LEE BIRD; NE.333.7041.13, -100.70
USM00072672RIVERTON; WY.345.4043.06, -108.48
USM00072476GRAND JUNCTION/WALKER FIELD; C453.9039.12, -108.53
USM00072451DODGE CITY/MUN.; KS.604.5037.76, -99.97

5.15 ASOS/METAR Surface Weather Observations

surface visibility ranged 10-10 statute miles; no precipitation was reported in the retained observations; low/broken/overcast cloud layers were present in at least one observation. Surface ASOS/METAR observations describe airport-level weather and visibility; they do not by themselves prove conditions at the sighting altitude or line of sight.

StationDistance kmNearest obs UTCVis SMSkyWind deg/ktMETAR
KBFF81.302024-03-03T09:53:00+00:0010.00SCT11000, M, M, M280.00 / 21.00KBFF 030953Z AUTO 28021G31KT 10SM SCT110 04/M07 A2947 RMK AO2 PK WND 29036/0908 SLP954 T00441067
KCYS83.802024-03-03T09:53:00+00:0010.00SCT05500, SCT12000, M, M290.00 / 24.00KCYS 030953Z AUTO 29024G39KT 10SM SCT055 SCT120 M02/M12 A2953 RMK AO2 PK WND 28047/0932 PRESRR SLP964 T10171122
KLAR111.502024-03-03T09:53:00+00:0010.00FEW09000, BKN11000, M, M260.00 / 18.00KLAR 030953Z AUTO 26018G25KT 10SM FEW090 BKN110 M05/M14 A2961 RMK AO2 SLP997 T10501144

5.16 NOAA IGRA Radiosonde Wind Profile

Nearest sounding implies mean 0-12 km wind drift toward 37.6 deg at 16.2 m/s; a passive balloon could drift about 116.7 km in two hours under this crude layer-average model. Radiosonde winds are sparse station soundings; balloon drift remains approximate without launch time, ascent rate, object altitude, and exact line-of-sight bearing.

StationNameDistance kmSounding UTCMean drift bearingMean speed m/s2h drift kmMax wind
USM00072662RAPID CITY WFO; SD.267.102024-03-03T12:00:00+00:0037.6016.20116.7031.90 at 11500.00 m

5.17 NOAA GOES ABI/GLM Public File Manifest

GOES public S3 objects are listed for the report hour where available. This is an availability manifest, not yet a rendered satellite image.

SatelliteGOES16Bucketnoaa-goes16
ABI sample files12GLM sample files12

ABI sample objects:

GLM lightning sample objects:

5.18 ADSB.lol Historical Aircraft Track Extraction

This layer uses the downloaded ADSB.lol daily history archive to test actual aircraft tracks near the report coordinate and minute. It is not treated as a primary-radar substitute; it is a transponder/receiver-derived aircraft screen.

Archive window2024-03-03T08:45:00+00:00 to 2024-03-03T11:15:00+00:00Radius300.00 nmi
Trace files scanned44286Tracks retained154
Support statusaircraft strong candidate presentBest-candidate noteordinary-object favored if the report's count, color, direction, and motion can be reconciled with the candidate track(s).
Strong candidates4Plausible candidates10
Reporting-aircraft tracks excluded3Weak candidates18

5.19 Top ADS-B Candidate Tracks

AircraftStatusScoreMin dist kmNearest dt minAlt ftAzEl
N973AK B39M ad8ed4strong aircraft candidate85.6327.100.063102515.6018.66
N251TH a25ce6strong aircraft candidate70.0773.001.90643005.5013.92
N805SY B738 aaf617strong aircraft candidate68.9878.500.1233025141.206.83
JA823A B788 86d5d8strong aircraft candidate58.5351.900.1235975195.008.17
C-FNWD B38M c02494reporting aircraft track; excluded from support counts94.5213.700.0238000214.9037.30
N639JB A320 a85ff5reporting aircraft track; excluded from support counts87.308.600.093505017.9049.65
D-AALR B77L 3c4592plausible aircraft candidate72.203.308.6731000326.3070.89
D-AALN B77L 3c458eplausible aircraft candidate66.383.700.393500055.0070.96

6. Annotated Evidence Figure

Annotated orbital object figure
Generated figure copied from the local evidence-plot output. It is included as an analytic visualization, not as original sensor imagery.

7. Analytic Comparison

CriterionReport EvidenceAnalytic Treatment
Time constraint2024-03-03T10:00:00+00:00Directly used in propagation; this is a hard filter, not descriptive context.
Location constraint41.88899, -104.57831Directly used as observer point for azimuth/elevation/range computation.
Count / patternthree-object/light language presentNo compact same-launch count match; retained for unresolved report features.
Motion languagemovingApparent motion labels in the object table provide a plausible but not definitive comparison.
Radar / official checknot observed on ATC radarNo ATC radar return can be consistent with distant orbital objects or visual aircraft-light hypotheses, but it does not prove the match.
Analytic dispositionnormal-object237UAP00362 is assessed as normal-object favored because the available public evidence gives a case-specific ordinary-object candidate: strong ADS-B aircraft candidate N973AK B39M ad8ed4 at 27.8 km, azimuth 15.6 deg, elevation 18.66 deg, 0.94 min from report. Dense satellite presence alone is not treated as causation in this packet.

8. Caveats, Limitations, and Collection Gaps

Appendix A. Public Report Text Extracts

237UAP00362

SKYWATCH INCIDENT REPORT



PRIMARY CODE: UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENON
Date: 10:00 03/03/2024                      Callsign: BOX473                            Origin: LAX
Status: Closed                              Aircraft: B77L                              Destination: EDDF
POD: DEN                                    Tail Number:                                New Destination:
Reporting Facility: ZDV                     Operator: BOX                               Operator Type: Commercial
                                            Paged: YES                                  MOR Init: YES
                                                                                        MOR ID: ZDV-M-2024/03/03-0001




REMARKS

Aircraft reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon 12 to 1 O' Clock while NE bound at FL350, 49NM W of BFF. The unknown
phenomenon was 2-3 bright white lights, possibly more, moving in several directions; up and down, left and right. The UAP was
not observed on ATC facility radar system.




SKYWATCH INCIDENT REPORT | DATE: 2024-03-03T10:00 | POD: DEN | PAGE 1 of 1

Appendix B. Computational Evidence Digest

This appendix preserves the principal computed values used in the assessment, shortened to the fields most relevant to audit and review.

{
  "report_time_utc": "2024-03-03T10:00:00+00:00",
  "source_excerpt": "Aircraft reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon 12 to 1 O' Clock while NE bound at FL350, 49NM W of BFF. The unknown phenomenon was 2-3 bright white lights, possibly more, moving in several directions; up and down, left and right. The UAP was not observed on ATC facility radar system.",
  "historical_starlink_element_rows": 20128,
  "observer": {
    "lat": 41.88898561407801,
    "lon": -104.57831441094379,
    "source": "aviation_offset:49NM W of BFF (public text extract 237UAP00362)"
  },
  "case_id": "237UAP00362",
  "starlink_above_horizon_at_report_time": 1066,
  "starlink_catalog_ids_considered": 20128,
  "largest_same-sky_cluster_count": 534,
  "starlink_at_or_above_10_deg": 534,
  "top_starlinks": [
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 198.81,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 4.42,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 6.23,
      "element_age_hours": 29.68,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-04T15:40:30.754272+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 86.15,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 66.04,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 36.09,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 1651.95,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 6.08,
      "ground_track_label": "N",
      "launch_date": "81120R",
      "launch_designator": "81120R",
      "name": "NORAD 29287",
      "norad_id": "29287",
      "range_km": 1671.06,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 41.1306,
      "subpoint_lon": -104.9201
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 249.18,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 337.12,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 345.01,
      "element_age_hours": 24.77,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-02T09:13:48.504288+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 82.75,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 58.11,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 27.96,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 1407.8,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 348.0,
      "ground_track_label": "NNW",
      "launch_date": "73088E",
      "launch_designator": "73088E",
      "name": "NORAD 7559",
      "norad_id": "7559",
      "range_km": 1432.45,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 41.4043,
      "subpoint_lon": -106.2305
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 36.78,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 160.42,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 168.65,
      "element_age_hours": 0.69,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T09:18:53.726112+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 80.68,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 60.8,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 28.95,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 1166.66,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 173.27,
      "ground_track_label": "S",
      "launch_date": "12041E",
      "launch_designator": "12041E",
      "name": "NORAD 38737",
      "norad_id": "38737",
      "range_km": 1320.24,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 43.1608,
      "subpoint_lon": -103.2715
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 309.92,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 357.85,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 4.62,
      "element_age_hours": 4.92,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T14:55:24.259584+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 76.53,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 40.44,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 13.87,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 840.99,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 7.35,
      "ground_track_label": "N",
      "launch_date": "81053QB",
      "launch_designator": "81053QB",
      "name": "NORAD 42115",
      "norad_id": "42115",
      "range_km": 951.99,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 42.993,
      "subpoint_lon": -106.3996
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 346.65,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 77.12,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 83.26,
      "element_age_hours": 1.22,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T11:12:59.430528+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 76.16,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 30.95,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 6.34,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.5,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 86.02,
      "ground_track_label": "E",
      "launch_date": "23119S",
      "launch_designator": "23119S",
      "name": "NORAD 57618",
      "norad_id": "57618",
      "range_km": 578.27,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 43.0013,
      "subpoint_lon": -104.9382
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 249.98,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 78.93,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 78.53,
      "element_age_hours": 2.86,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T12:51:23.904576+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 75.78,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 35.98,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 7.73,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.17,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 76.46,
      "ground_track_label": "ENE",
      "launch_date": "23088AR",
      "launch_designator": "23088AR",
      "name": "NORAD 57087",
      "norad_id": "57087",
      "range_km": 579.15,
      "sky_motion_label": "westward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 41.4766,
      "subpoint_lon": -106.0496
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 189.06,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 194.38,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 195.61,
      "element_age_hours": 1.69,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T08:18:29.546784+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 74.97,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 38.09,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 12.98,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 971.71,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 195.63,
      "ground_track_label": "SSW",
      "launch_date": "70025FL",
      "launch_designator": "70025FL",
      "name": "NORAD 4914",
      "norad_id": "4914",
      "range_km": 1037.35,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 39.8218,
      "subpoint_lon": -105.0057
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 41.16,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 88.55,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 93.33,
      "element_age_hours": 1.17,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T11:10:06.195072+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 74.96,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 27.4,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 5.15,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.38,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 96.66,
      "ground_track_label": "E",
      "launch_date": "23083AU",
      "launch_designator": "23083AU",
      "name": "NORAD 56918",
      "norad_id": "56918",
      "range_km": 581.31,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 42.8229,
      "subpoint_lon": -103.4625
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 65.05,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 132.17,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 148.41,
      "element_age_hours": 0.09,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T09:54:44.193600+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 74.31,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 57.46,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 29.77,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 1469.36,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 161.49,
      "ground_track_label": "SSE",
      "launch_date": "78005E",
      "launch_designator": "78005E",
      "name": "NORAD 10587",
      "norad_id": "10587",
      "range_km": 1520.32,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 43.0974,
      "subpoint_lon": -100.8562
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 58.75,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 181.36,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 189.75,
      "element_age_hours": 7.33,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T02:40:06.752064+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 73.55,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 43.89,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 12.51,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 776.64,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 194.92,
      "ground_track_label": "SSW",
      "launch_date": "02056G",
      "launch_designator": "02056G",
      "name": "NORAD 28455",
      "norad_id": "28455",
      "range_km": 805.51,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 42.8188,
      "subpoint_lon": -102.452
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 358.33,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 139.13,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 156.02,
      "element_age_hours": 0.08,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T09:55:14.544192+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 71.68,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 74.5,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 38.59,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 1471.82,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 160.43,
      "ground_track_label": "SSE",
      "launch_date": "74072E",
      "launch_designator": "74072E",
      "name": "NORAD 7439",
      "norad_id": "7439",
      "range_km": 1537.55,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, rising",
      "subpoint_lat": 45.4206,
      "subpoint_lon": -104.7245
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 84.55,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 12.6,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 351.19,
      "element_age_hours": 0.09,
      "element_epoch": "2024-03-03T09:54:51.826176+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 71.58,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 60.93,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 32.37,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 1449.95,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 340.22,
      "ground_track_label": "NNW",
      "launch_date": "76077FT",
      "launch_designator": "76077FT",
      "name": "NORAD 27728",
      "norad_id": "27728",
      "range_km": 1706.65,
      "sky_motion_label": "westward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 42.14,
      "subpoint_lon": -99.4024
    }
  ],
  

Appendix C. Source Exhaustion Checklist

This checklist records which source layers were actually applied to this individual report. It separates checked evidence from unexhausted collection gaps so the disposition is auditable when the PDF is read alone.

Source LayerStatusCase-Specific Note
NARA public UAP/FAA reportreviewedSource IDs: 237UAP00362
Time and observer coordinateextracted2024-03-03T10:00:00+00:00 at 41.88899, -104.57831
Orbital object propagationscreenedpublic LEO catalog objects
Space-Track SATCAT metadatascreened30 NORAD IDs checked; 30 matched in local SATCAT subset
Launch-object/SupGP layernot applicablenot a launch-object case
NASA/JPL known small-body layernot selectedCAD/Horizons secondary screen included when this case had NEO-relevant timing/geometry
NASA POWER/Horizons/DONKI contextscreenedHourly weather, sky geometry, and space-weather context where local JSON is present
Aircraft/ADS-B layerscreened44286 trace files scanned; 154 tracks retained; aircraft strong candidate present
NOAA GOES imagery layernot exhaustedCloud/lightning imagery layer for the report hour
NOAA GOES ABI/GLM manifestscreenedPublic S3 object listing for the report hour
NOAA/NEXRAD weather radar layernot exhaustedWeather radar only; not ATC/primary radar
NOAA IGRA radiosonde layerscreenedBalloon drift plausibility layer
ASOS/METAR surface weatherscreenedNearest station visibility, cloud, wind, precipitation, and METAR observations
Weather/balloon source planplannedNearest weather-airport, GOES, and radiosonde queries are listed where local plan JSON is present
Final analytic dispositionnormal-object favoredPresence-only satellite density is context only; a stronger case-specific fit is required for normal-object disposition

References and Source Links

  1. National Archives and Records Administration. Records Related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) at the National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps
  2. National Archives and Records Administration. Record Group 615: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Collection. https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps/rg-615
  3. National Archives and Records Administration. Bulk Downloads for Records Related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs). https://www.archives.gov/research/catalog/catalog-bulk-downloads/uap-bulk-download
  4. National Archives Catalog. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration Relating to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, National Archives Identifier 493468575. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/493468575
  5. National Archives direct digital object. 237UAP00362.pdf, FAA UAP report record copied from RG 615 bulk digital objects. https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-615/493468575/237UAP00362.pdf
  6. Hugging Face dataset. oxzoid/space-track-tle-history: historical TLE archive used for public LEO catalog objects screening. https://huggingface.co/datasets/oxzoid/space-track-tle-history
  7. Space-Track.org. Public source for the underlying U.S. Space Surveillance Network TLE distribution referenced by the historical TLE archive. https://www.space-track.org/
  8. Space-Track.org. API documentation for SATCAT and catalog metadata classes used for local enrichment. https://www.space-track.org/documentation#/api
  9. NASA POWER. Hourly point API documentation for meteorological context. https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/hourly/
  10. NASA/JPL Solar System Dynamics. Horizons API documentation for observer geometry and apparent magnitude queries. https://ssd-api.jpl.nasa.gov/doc/horizons.html
  11. NASA. DONKI space weather API documentation. https://api.nasa.gov/
  12. ADSB.lol. Interactive API documentation and OpenAPI definition. https://api.adsb.lol/docs
  13. ADSB.lol. Historical open-data release documentation. https://www.adsb.lol/docs/open-data/historical/
  14. OpenSky Network. REST API documentation. https://openskynetwork.github.io/opensky-api/rest.html
  15. OpenSky Network. Historical data via Trino documentation. https://openskynetwork.github.io/opensky-api/trino.html
  16. NASA GIBS. Global Imagery Browse Services API documentation. https://nasa-gibs.github.io/gibs-api-docs/
  17. NASA Earthdata. Common Metadata Repository search API documentation. https://cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/site/docs/search/api.html
  18. NOAA / AWS Open Data. GOES public dataset registry. https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-goes/
  19. NOAA / AWS Open Data. NEXRAD public dataset registry. https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-nexrad/
  20. NOAA NCEI. Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/weather-balloon/integrated-global-radiosonde-archive
  21. Iowa Environmental Mesonet. ASOS/AWOS/METAR data download service. https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/request/download.phtml
  22. CelesTrak. Spacetrack Report No. 3: Models for propagation of NORAD element sets. https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/spacetrk.pdf
  23. CelesTrak. Supplemental GP element sets documentation and current endpoint index. https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/supplemental/